The Warung with No Beer

Warung Beer Sales Outlawed

Click Image to Enlarge

(5/5/2014)

Under recently passed national regulations, the sale of “Class-A” alcoholic beverages with an alcohol content of between 0-5% can now only take place at minimarkets, hypermarkets and supermarkets and the sale of low-alcohol beverages, such as beer, is no longer allowed at warung kaki lima, small grocers and small food stands.

The director general of Standardization and Consumer Protection of the Ministry of Trade, Widodo, promised stricter enforcement at a meeting in Jakarta on April 25, 2014.

The Ministry of Trade has issued new regulations governing the stocking, distribution and sale of alcohol (Permendag No. 20/M-DAG/PER/4/2014).

In cooperation with the police, businesses found violating the rules by trading in these alcoholic beverages are subject to having such items seized.

Widodo said regular patrols would be organized to identify those violating the law or retail outlets selling beverages other than beer with alcohol contents in excess of 5%.

The government is also promising to take steps to control the distribution of alcohol to ensure that under-aged drinkers are not being sold alcohol.